Raymond Neal Kovacs

Ray was born in Baltimore, Maryland on April 22, 1932; the only child of parents Louis and Hilda. His father was a Chief Warrant Officer in the US Army, and Ray frequently recalled fond memories of growing up on various military bases. As a boy, he spent long days on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay hunting snakes with friends and his trusty .22.

At the age of 20, he was drafted by the Army to serve in the Korean War. While in training, he and an Army buddy drove through Towson, Maryland, where he was stopped in his tracks by Mildred “Jean” Donaldson. What began as a “tale as old as time” courtship at a local ice cream parlor blossomed into a romance and partnership that still inspires friends and family to this day. Ray & Jean wrote letters to each other while he was in training, and she was in nursing school. They married in June 1954. The following year in 1955 their son, Michael, was born and while working, Ray began attending the University of Baltimore in the evening, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree. Jean and Ray remained married for 72 years until his passing.

He spent his formative years inseparable from the Chesapeake Bay. Ray built his first small boat as a teenager and watched it promptly sink upon its maiden voyage. That did not deter him from what became a lifelong love of boating. In the late ‘50s, from plans, he formed and built a wooden cabin cruiser in his basement. It was powered by a 35HP Evinrude Outboard - amazing at the time.

His family was his priority – to prepare for the birth of his second child, Barbara, he took on the role of General Contractor in building a custom home. Weekends were frequently filled with adventures exploring the Eastern seaboard; on business trips, his family travelled with him. These wonderful family memories were only made possible due to the support and hard work of Jean.

His first sailboat, Milly Jean I, was a sunken boat he had to raise and restore. Subsequent boats would continue to bear the Milly Jean name, until a Morgan 30 named the Marvelous Toy. Magic Jeanie was the pride of their fleet, first a Catalina 34 and later a Catalina 380. Aboard Magic Jeannie, Ray and Jean set sail for frequent adventures to Catalina Island with their children and grandchildren, sharing a lifelong passion with the next generation.

Ray joined Marriott in 1972 and was a key member of the executive staff. He was relocated to Los Angeles in 1980 to serve as the Resident Manager of one of the jewels in the Marriott crown - the newly opened, 1,000 room LAX Marriott. He then became General Manager of the Marina del Ray Marriott and ultimately moved on to become General Manager of the prestigious Newport Beach Marriott at Fashion Island. Ray brought dedication, business acumen, and mentorship to those he worked with in the hospitality industry over the years.

Ray and Jean’s mutual love of friends and hospitality led to many decades of laughs, leisure, and community at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. They loved BCYC and for many years, it was the center of their life. He served as Commodore at BCYC in 2003. In 2011, Ray and Jean also became members of the Catalina Island Yacht Club for 10 years. He was also a Director of the Southern California Yachting Association and a member of the hospitality organization Skal.

Ray was an avid sailor and a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. Those who knew Ray felt lucky to have him in their lives. He is survived by his wife Jean Kovacs; children Michael Kovacs and Barbara Kovacs; grandchildren, Stefan Kovacs and wife Stephanie Kovacs, Garrett Smith and wife Nichole Smith, Meagan Kovacs Haralson and husband Phil Haralson, and Jennifer Kovacs; and great-grandchildren Evalyn Smith, Alexandria Smith, Theodore Haralson, Braden Haralson and Stevie Kovacs.